Members of the largest union gathered in the 81 provinces to denounce proposed changes to severance pay laws, threatening a general strike if the measures are introduced in parliament. Though the draft bill has yet to be made public, the government has outlined measures in recent weeks for a Supplementary Pension System (TES) that would cut severance pay rights for workers under 25 years of age and over 50.
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[close]Thousands of workers who were furloughed or temporarily laid off when the coronavirus pandemic hit industries are now preparing to return to work as the 90-day maximum layoff period is set to expire. However, there is still a question mark over whether or not they will return to work, remain furloughed under an ‘exceptional circumstances’ ruling, or be laid off permanently.
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[close]Compared to May 2019, construction costs rose by 1.4% and labour remuneration of workers rose by 7.4%. Compared to April 2020, remuneration of workers rose by 1.4 % in May.
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[close]Tata Steel factory workers went on strike for the second time in three days to protest planned job cuts in the Netherlands. Unions say Tata aims to cut more than 1,000 of the 9,000 jobs at the IJmuiden plant to improve the profitability of its European business. Workers have held work stoppages since June 10, but the actions were suspended because of negotiations with Tata Steel Europe’s management.
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[close]Environmental activists, trade union leaders and employers have welcomed the endorsement of the programme for government and are calling for major investment in the economy as it struggles to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic while achieving key policy goals. The general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) said the group of unions will work with the incoming government.
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[close]Employment numbers in Italy show the heavy impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a rise in the size of the inactive population. This is a sign that the labour market is frozen. The unemployment rate surprisingly fell from 8% in March to 6.3% in April. But this was because many people moved into the inactive category, which rose by 746,000 and pushed up the country’s inactivity rate from 36.1% to 38.1%. The country’s overall employment numbers fell by 274,000.
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[close]While the COVID-19 pandemic requires new medical and social innovations, it also draws attention to some of the long-standing challenges in innovation policy. Universal health care coverage and paid sick leave, for instance, benefit everyone: the former by reducing financial barriers to testing, and the latter by making it easier for ill workers to self-isolate. Between sending non-essential public workers home on March 13 and shutting down a large part of the private sector on March 18, the government consulted with employers’ associations and trade unions. By presenting a united front and sharing responsibility for the lockdown, this inclusive approach made it easier for the government to take bold action and secure public support.
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[close]The steady growth of wages continued according to the Central Statistical Office (KSH). In 2019, the average net wage was 11.4% higher than in the previous year. However, compared to other EU countries, wages are still low. In 2019, the average net wage was €9,079, the third lowest in Europe.
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[close]More than 1,500 of the 7,000 workers at the Tönnies meat-packing plant in the Gütersloh district have tested positive for COVID-19, and all are now under strict quarantine. Workers complain of harsh working conditions and poor accommodation that appear to have fuelled the outbreak of the deadly disease. The plant has been temporarily closed.
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[close]In the first quarter of 2020, the employment rate was 65.4% for the population aged 15-64, decreasing by 0.6% points compared to the previous quarter, whereas the unemployment rate stood at 4.3%, up 0.4 percentage points compared to the previous quarter, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS). In the first quarter of 2020, the employment rate for the population aged 20-64 was 70.6%, 0.6% points over the national target of 70% established in the context of the Europe 2020 Strategy.
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